baby shoes

Trix

so the baby is on the move and its time I get her a pair of shoes.
is it absolutely necessary that I get her shoes in clarkes and spend 45 quid :eek:? granted I have to get her measured but if I go elsewhere like dunnes will she end up with a limp or a flat foot or something.

theLuggage

Not at all but I've often bought the cheaper ones in dunnes and they have lasted no length, whereas the ones from clarks have survived for ages. Something to think about. Marks n spencers do a good quality brand, can't remember the name and next shoes are a mixed bag in my experience.

Suucee

Yea cheaper shoes. Dunnes/pennys/shoe zone. Dont last. With wear the out before s/he grows them out. Ive learned this from experience. I tend to go for start rite or chatterbox. Bit cheaper than clarks but good quality. Got clarks first few times though.

closifer

Trix wrote: »

so the baby is on the move and its time I get her a pair of shoes.
is it absolutely necessary that I get her shoes in clarkes and spend 45 quid :eek:? granted I have to get her measured but if I go elsewhere like dunnes will she end up with a limp or a flat foot or something.

So glad you asked this because its something I had been thinking about too. Clarks shoes are SO expensive and i would imagine the shoes are grown out of quickly. Surely you could get about 6 pairs of dunnes shoes for the same price so it would be a saving even if they didnt last that long?

Xdancer

My only issue with the cheaper shoes is that they don't have the same support as some of the more expensive brands. I have bought shoes from Dunne's etc for my daughter, but only as secondary shoes.

Gee_G

I had my son at physio when he was first starting to walk and she said that it doesn't matter if the shoes cost €5 or €50, as long as they have the proper support around their heel and the sole!

uck51js9zml2yt

We get it's news used in Clarks and then buy online.
Clarks deliver to parcel motel. We've also used shoes for kids. Co. Uk

The important thing is to get an accurate measurement. This normally Involves going to 2 shops.

sillysocks

If you're near Kildare Village there's a Clarks outlet there and the shoes are normally around half price. They measure and all there, it's just like a normal shop once your baby won't be too upset over wearing last seasons shoes 😀

nikpmup

My physio recommended feet & co in drumcondra for when he starts to walk - just for a first pair, she said after that as long as they have good arch support any shoes are ok

Trix

sillysocks wrote: »

If you're near Kildare Village there's a Clarks outlet there and the shoes are normally around half price. They measure and all there, it's just like a normal shop once your baby won't be too upset over wearing last seasons shoes ��

I just wont tell her whats in and out of season. will head to clarkes. obviously I want the best shoes for her but 45 quid seems outrageous. sure the size of the shoes,they're teeny tiny.

Nead21

I've just bought my son's second pair of Clarks. He's moved from the softer soled ones to proper shoes now. Both times I went to Kildare Village and luckily both times there was a sale. His first pair cost me €12 while his second cost me around €18. Even without the extra sale discount, they were still noticeably cheaper than €45.

Neyite

Startrite are another excellent brand to consider and seem to be more reasonably priced too.

We are on our third pair of clarkes now and to be honest, they are not very hard wearing so I'm switching to Startrite at the next shoe fitting.

uck51js9zml2yt

Neyite wrote: »

Startrite are another excellent brand to consider and seem to be more reasonably priced too.

We are on our third pair of clarkes now and to be honest, they are not very hard wearing so I'm switching to Startrite at the next shoe fitting.

I wish I could say the same:rolleyes:

My son is 4 and already wearing 11G. He grows out of them too quickly.
I wonder if I could use chinese foot binding :cool:

cyning

I have a little girl who is two and four months. We are on our 8th pair of €47 shoes. We get very stuck with shoes because she's a h width in clarkes (in 8h now). I'm going to try startrite next time too I think. I bought her last pair in Kildare village but I live so far away it's not worth it.

How Strange

We stopped going to Clarks as we were fed up with them not measuring correctly. We now go to Cripps in Terenure and find them fantastic.

At the beginning they may outgrow shoes very quickly but in general that slows down after 2 years. We got a pair of boots in Cripps in January and my son is still wearing them. The staff there reckon you should get about 6 months out of a pair of shoes.

Also start rite, Pablo sky ( I think) are far better in terms of quality than Clarks.

It's important to get your child's foot measured before buying shoes so perhaps you can do that yourself. Also both of mine have broad feet so off the shelf shoes from dunnes etc are too narrow. My son is badly flat footed so he will always need the support of good shoes. My daughter doesn't seem to be so perhaps we'll get away with buying a second pair from dunnes or next or somewhere.

Rose35

Have been using the 'branded shoes' now since he started walking, have gone through at least 10 pairs, can't bring myself
to put him in the cheaper shoes i.e dunnes etc, picked up a pair in dunnes once and they felt 'heavy' and didn't appear to be that supportive for a two year old.
Have to say though that Clarkes shoes don't last but he is kinda hard on shoes and we have a farm so he is out and about alot in all sorts of terrain, should add that he is only two since august and started walkin shortly after his first birthday.
Found startrite to be the most durable of the brands we have tried.

Sligo1

Startrite and Ecco are the buiz (Ecco are the best IMO). House of Fraser in dundrum are brilliant for measuring and giving you the "correct" shoes for your babes foot. I find clarkes absolutely terrible and a complete waste of money.

uck51js9zml2yt

Clarke's are Rolling out a computerised measurement tool which will hopefully be more accurate.

The worst I had was during the summer in Slovakia. The sales assistant measured his foot at an angle giving a smaller size than he was wearing.
I nearly hit the roof. My wife wouldn't translate for me.

cyning

My problem is her foot won't stop growing

Suucee

cyning wrote: »

I have a little girl who is two and four months. We are on our 8th pair of €47 shoes. We get very stuck with shoes because she's a h width in clarkes (in 8h now). I'm going to try startrite next time too I think. I bought her last pair in Kildare village but I live so far away it's not worth it.

Omg 8. A is only a 6 and i think shes a lil older. Got her a pair runners in June still fitting her. New shoes in aug still grand with bit of space and bought boots last week. She hadnt grown in a few months. Longest ive ever got .

yellow hen

How Strange wrote: »

We stopped going to Clarks as we were fed up with them not measuring correctly. We now go to Cripps in Terenure and find them fantastic.

At the beginning they may outgrow shoes very quickly but in general that slows down after 2 years. We got a pair of boots in Cripps in January and my son is still wearing them. The staff there reckon you should get about 6 months out of a pair of shoes.

Also start rite, Pablo sky ( I think) are far better in terms of quality than Clarks.

It's important to get your child's foot measured before buying shoes so perhaps you can do that yourself. Also both of mine have broad feet so off the shelf shoes from dunnes etc are too narrow. My son is badly flat footed so he will always need the support of good shoes. My daughter doesn't seem to be so perhaps we'll get away with buying a second pair from dunnes or next or somewhere.

We just got our first pair of shoes in cripps. The staff were lovely and very helpful but the selection of shoes for a broad footed child was poor. As it happened I liked the only pair they had. Will definitely go back but their selection might determine whether we actually buy there.

MistyCheese

We went into Clarks for her first shoes but they didn't have any her size. I was fortunate enough to find a pair of Clarks in a second hand shop and I think they're great shoes. Would this be an option for you? Second-hand shops or Adverts? Some articles say that second-hand shoes aren't great because they are already worn down to another child's foot but I think a decent, sturdy pair of good quality shoes are better than a brand-new pair from a lesser quality brand.

We've got a couple of shoes from Dunnes/Heatons aswell and I have much more confidence in the Clarks shoes. She seems more steady in them. Of course €45 is a lot for shoes, especially when they can grow out of them so quickly but maybe you could sell them on when your child has outgrown them? At least you could recoup some of the cost then.

mrsWhippy

Trix wrote: »

so the baby is on the move and its time I get her a pair of shoes.
is it absolutely necessary that I get her shoes in clarkes and spend 45 quid :eek:? granted I have to get her measured but if I go elsewhere like dunnes will she end up with a limp or a flat foot or something.

It would be my opinion to put off getting her shoes for as long as possible. Then when you do and she's walking steadily, at least for the first few pairs, invest in something supportive, like start-rite .. or many of the brands they would do in HOF or Cripps. We've had really good experiences getting measured in House of Fraiser and they tend to have more of the sizes in stock than Cripps normally would. But definitely for her first few pairs, I think it's worth paying for the quality and service. Their feet are so soft at that age.

How Strange

yellow hen wrote: »

We just got our first pair of shoes in cripps. The staff were lovely and very helpful but the selection of shoes for a broad footed child was poor. As it happened I liked the only pair they had. Will definitely go back but their selection might determine whether we actually buy there.

I agree on that point. I had to buy my daughter pink shoes both times because that was all the had in stock. I might try grahams in town next time.

Trix

thanks all for the replies.
think I'm going take a spin up to house of fraser in dundrum. why do babies grow up so fast.:(

Sligo1

Trix wrote: »

thanks all for the replies.
think I'm going take a spin up to house of fraser in dundrum. why do babies grow up so fast.:(

Ask for Rachel. She's one of the managers there and is brilliant!

Trix

Sligo1 wrote: »

Ask for Rachel. She's one of the managers there and is brilliant!

will do. thanks:)

Suucee

I know a few people were recommending ecco shoes. Just got email from shoes for kids that they are now stocking

• Almarino
• Ecco
• Gabor
• Geox
• Hush Puppies
• Primigi
• Toughees
• Umi

Rosy Posy

Bobux iwalk are brilliant. They last really well and are easy to get on and off! My kids could do them themselves way before they could do other shoes.

Soooky

Hi sorry for hijacking this thread OP but didn't want to start a new similar thread

FTM here and totally clueless when it comes to baba's first shoes:o My LO is just beginning to walk (as in she walks holding onto furniture/our hands with one hand so presume it wont be long now) At the moment she is just wearing Moccons or socks with grips - when do we need to get proper shoes (now or when she is properly walking about on her own? Also, do they need to be shoes or could we get her boots? Would boots be too restrictive around her ankles? Never thought buying shoes would be mindboggling :eek::eek:

cerastes

Suucee wrote: »

Yea cheaper shoes. Dunnes/pennys/shoe zone. Dont last. With wear the out before s/he grows them out. Ive learned this from experience. I tend to go for start rite or chatterbox. Bit cheaper than clarks but good quality. Got clarks first few times though.

dont write off secondhand, good quality shoes are grown out of before worn out, have gotten some great bargains secondhand, have looked at some cheaper brands and not so convinced but could not buy for 47 new.